There are many Mother and Child paintings but the most famous was painted by Pablo Picasso.
Another answer:
Maybe the ones by Raphael are the most famous.
When not about the Virgin and Baby Jesus, Mary Cassatt painted many famous mother and child pictures.
Chat with our AI personalities
An artist, painted 'Mother Love'
Strong willed and determined
The Gerber Baby
Mary Cassatt, American painter in Paris. Most likely, you are thinking of Mary Cassatt (1845-1926); another female artist who painted mother-child portraits was Berthe Morisot (1841-1895), a significant figure in Impressionism.
I am not sure that it is so much a famous theme, more of a popular theme. The theme is one everyone knows, and can sometimes refer to the Mother Mary and Child Jesus.